The present invention relates beverage holders, and in particular for use in motor vehicles.
Such beverage holders are known in numerous embodiments. They are mountable in a motor vehicle or another moving means and serve for tilt-free holding of an inserted beverage container. The beverage containers can be for example a can, a cup, a mug and the like. The known beverage holders have an insertion opening for insertion of the beverage container. For adaptation to beverage containers with different diameters, the beverage holders are provided with an adjustable holding element which forms a part of an insertion opening and is arranged in its edge region. The holding element has a turning support, with which it is turnable for adaptation to different diameters of the beverage containers in the insertion opening. By turning of the holding element a throughgoing width of the insertion opening is adjustable. For arresting the holding element in its corresponding turning position it is known to provide an arresting device. The arresting device is formed so that by applying a sufficiently high force on the holding element it disengages and thereby allows turning of the holding element. The known arresting devices have however the disadvantage that they require high force for disengagement of the arresting device and turning of the holding element.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage holder of the above mentioned general type which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage holder of the above mentioned general type in which a holding element can be turned without application of great forces.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in a beverage holder, comprising a base part provided with an insertion opening for insertion of a beverage container; a displaceable holding element which is arranged in an edge region of said insertion opening and has a turning bearing so that upon turning of said holding element said insertion opening is adaptable to different diameters of beverage containers; an arresting device which holds said holding element in a corresponding turning position, said holding element having a displacement guide which extends transversely to said arresting device, so that by displacing said holding element in said displacement guide said arresting device is disengaged and said holding element is turnable; and a spring element which loads said holding element in a direction of said displacement guide and presses said holding element in engagement with said arresting device.
In accordance with the invention the turnable holding element of the inventive beverage holder has a displacement guide which extends transversely to the arresting device. The arresting device is brought out of engagement by displacement of the holding element in the displacement direction and the holding element is turnable. Thereby the displacement of the holding element in the displacement direction is performed and it provides disengagement of the arresting device, preferably by a force applied for turning the holding element to it.
Furthermore, the inventive beverage holder has a spring element which loads the holding element in a direction of the displacement guide and thereby presses the arresting device into the engaging position. For bringing the arresting device in a disengaged position, the holding element is thereby displaced against the force of the spring element in the displacement direction so far that the arresting device disengages.
The course of the displacement guide transversely to the arresting device is a course is understood which brings the arresting device out of engagement by displacement of the holding element in the displacement guide. The displacement guide must not be perpendicular or radial to a circular-arc-shaped arresting device. The displacement guide can extend also at an angle to the above mentioned direction. Also, the displacement guide is not necessarily a straight guide, but it can be also formed as an arcuate guide.
The holding device forms a part of an insertion opening. It completes the insertion opening in the peripheral direction so that an inserted beverage container is held tilt-free in all directions. The insertion opening must not be closed in the peripheral direction. It suffices when the insertion opening including the turnable holding element which supports the inserted beverage container at several points of its periphery so that the beverage container is held tilt-free in all directions.
The present invention has the advantage that the arresting device which holds the turnable or displaceable holding element in its corresponding turning position can be brought out of engagement without application of great forces, so that the holding element without application of great forces can be turned and thereby adapted to the diameter of a beverage container inserted in the beverage holder. A further advantage of the invention is that the force required for turning of the holding element is a relatively accurately fixable and also is maintained in mass production with in a low fluctuation range.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a pin inserted in an elongated hole is used as a turning bearing of the holding element. The pin is rotatable and displaceable in the elongated hole, so that the turning bearing simultaneously also forms a displacement guide of the holding element. This design allows a simple and price-favorable construction of the invention.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention the holding element can be formed as a holding bracket. In particular an inner side of the holding element which faces the insertion opening of the beverage holder can be concave.
A turning axis of the holding element can extend in any directions. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a vertical course of the turning axis is proposed. The vertical direction means the course of the turning axis of the beverage holder in its predetermined insertion position.
The arresting device and the holding element in one of the embodiments of the present invention can have a toothed rack which extends arcuate around the turning bearing. The toothed rack cooperates with at least one arresting projection. The arresting projections can form a second toothed rack. The toothed rack can be arranged immovably on the beverage holder and at least one arresting projection can be arranged on the holding element, or vice versa the toothed rack can be formed on the holding element and its cooperating arresting projection can be formed immovably.
Preferably the toothed rack and/or the at least one arresting projection can be formed springy. Therefore at least one arresting projection under the action of a force acting in a longitudinal direction of the toothed rack can be disengaged from the toothed rack by an incline of tooth flanks of the teeth of the toothed rack. This force which acts in the longitudinal direction of the toothed rack is actuated by a force applied to the holding element for turning.
For springy construction, the toothed rack and/or the arresting projection can be arranged on a spring tongue. This makes possible, during a production of the beverage container or its holding element to use a spring-elastic material, for example synthetic plastic so that the toothed rack or the arresting projection are formed of one piece with the beverage container or the holding element.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.